Thousands of convictions tainted by rogue lab chemist tossed

BOSTON — A judge on Massachusetts' highest court has ordered the dismissal of thousands of cases tainted by a former chemist who authorities say was high almost every day she worked at a state drug lab for eight years.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts and the state's public defender agency say more than 11,000 convictions in nearly 7,700 cases are being tossed.

Prosecutors agreed to dismiss the cases tainted by Sonja Farak, who pleaded guilty in 2014 to stealing drugs from the lab.

The ACLU and Committee for Public Counsel Services also are asking the court to throw out thousands of other cases potentially impacted by the rogue chemist.

Farak's case is separate from another Massachusetts drug lab scandal that resulted in the dismissal of some 21,000 convictions last year.